Clearing the Air
by Love-el-ly Joy
Summary: Veronica needs a ride home from the sheriff's department one day, and she and Lamb discuss several topics that I always felt should be discussed by them. Rated T for discussions of abuse and rape.


_A/N: I just really love Don Lamb more than anything and this story just came to mind. Takes place somewhere in season three._

_Clearing the Air_

"Here you are, Lamb. Happy Tuesday."

Veronica walked a man in cuffs over to the counter of the sheriff's department, ignoring the shocked look on Sacks' face. "Tell the dear sheriff he has a delivery."

A moment later, Lamb emerged from his office. "You brought me my bank robber. What's the catch?"

"No catch. The bank hired my dad to find out if one of their employees was involved, and I ran into this one on the way. Not literally. You're welcome."

Veronica turned and flounced out of the building, only to realize her car wouldn't start. She got back out and went to the front of the Saturn. On the hood was spray painted, "Thanks for the spark plugs, whore."

Sighing, Veronica reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, only to find that it was dead.

Damn. It wasn't like she could go back into the sheriff's office after that exit. Luckily, she happened to know from all of her time spent here that there was a bus stop just a few feet away from where she was currently standing.

Veronica made her way over to it and sat down on the bench. The bus would come at some point; there was no schedule posted anywhere that she could see.

"Veronica?"

She groaned internally and slowly turned to see Don Lamb standing behind her.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"Someone took my spark plugs and I am waiting for the bus. And you?"

"My day is over and the city buses are being repainted this week. I'll drive you."

Veronica stood up slowly and followed Lamb to his car. She opened the door and climbed gingerly into the passenger seat.

He pulled out of the parking lot. "Where are you going?"

"Neptune Grand. Actually, scratch that, Logan might beat someone up if he finds out they stole my spark plugs. Can you take me to Eli Nevarro's? I assume you've had to go there at some point recently."

"You friends with Weevil?"

"Good friends, actually. Plus he'll probably re-detail my car for free if I ask nicely."

"Mm."

They drove in silence for a minute, and finally Lamb broke it. "So...how's school?"

"It's good. My criminology professor is recommending me for an internship with the FBI this summer."

"Wow. Veronica Mars out of Neptune for a whole summer? Maybe we'll actually put someone behind bars on our own."

Veronica laughed. After a moment, she said, "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

"I've kind of been wondering this for awhile, and you never brought it up, so...last year, after you caught Duncan and me at the Mannings' house, why'd you let us go?"

"When I was six, my...a cop walked into my house. He was married to a friend of my mother's. My father shoved me into the bathroom and told me that if I so much as made a sound, he would kill me later. But he'd left the belt on the floor, and I tripped on it. Hit my head on the bathtub. I found out when I finally got back to school four days later that it was a concussion. The cop was about to go in, but my dad started talking about warrants and lawyers and the guy backed off - like I said, his wife was a friend, and I guess he didn't want to cause trouble. But if he'd just opened that door; seen me in a t-shirt, all the bruises clearly visible...if I'd had someone who cared enough to poke around like you and the Kane kid, maybe I would have gotten out of that house."

There was a moment of silence before Veronica replied, "I'm so sorry."

"No, don't worry about it. I would appreciate if you didn't spread this information around, though. I like to win votes based on the public hating your dad, not pity."

Veronica smiled. "Of course. It's between me and my teddy bear, Mr. Fluffers."

Lamb cracked a smile. "While the mood is killed and we're clearing the air, I'd like to apologize for something."

"What is it?"

"Three years ago, when you came in to report your rape. I told you to 'go see the wizard.' I'd spent the last six years trying to get away from my family, keep them from finding out where I'd gone and what I was doing, and I got a call from my father that morning saying that I was lucky he was staying away and that he knew I was in Neptune. I know it's a screwed up train of thought, but he found out because of the reboot election, and in my twenty-four-year-old brain that meant that your father was the reason my father found me. And it's no excuse for what I did to you, but..." he trailed off. "Did you ever find out who it was?"

"Cassidy Casablancas. Do you remember when I was testifying in Aaron Echolls' trial and the lawyer asked me about my chlamydia diagnosis? It was from him."

"Figures. Where there's one bad seed in a family, there's always another."

Veronica smiled before she looked out the window and saw that they were at Weevil's. "Well, thanks for the ride."

"Least I could do, after you brought in my robber."

"Well, I guess I'll see you the next time there's a dramatic crime in this town." Veronica opened the door and climbed out.

"See you, Veronica."


End file.
